The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like that she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before. "Leave me alone," he growled. To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away."

The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone. Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked. "No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?" The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?" "See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile." "Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!"

Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. "Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything." "This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it." Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived. The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table.

"What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this. Is this man in trouble?" "This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered. "Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business." Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place." The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?" "Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms." "And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?" "What business is that of yours?"

"I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company." "Oh." The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference." She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?" "No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty." "Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?" "Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice." The cafeteria manager turned on his heel "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer." The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said. "That was not my intent.

Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this." She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest She stared at him intently. "Jack, do you remember me?" Old Jack searched her face with his old , rheumy eyes "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar." "I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry." "Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry. "I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything.

Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat." Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy." "I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over, I saw you put the price of my food in the cash registerI knew then that everything would be all right." "So you started your own business?"

Old Jack said. "I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business, that, with the help of God, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you." There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you? " he said.

"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus. He led me to you." Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said. "On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And...And thank you for the coffee."

If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing. If you have missed some of my emails, you might have missed a laugh. But, if you have missed knowing my LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, you have missed everything in the world Have a Wonderful Day. May God Bless You Always. And don't forget that when you "cast your bread upon the waters," you never know how it will be returned to you.

The holidays should be a time to be happy but somehow a lot of people get stressed because of it. There are a lot of things to take care of like decorating the house, picking up a tree, sending Christmas cards, buying gifts and planning Christmas dinner. It's sad to say but it has become commercialized.Christmas is one of my favorite holiday, the other being Thanksgiving (my #1 holiday). It is so much fun seeing the kids get excited when they open their presents. This year, I bought Amber's present very early, real early...as early as September. LOL Yes, can you believe it? I knew that she wanted a Nintendo Wii so I kept a lookout for it on the Sunday Ads. Then one weekend, I saw that they will get a Wii on Sunday and they will only have 18 per store. Guess what? I was on the store lot early that Sunday waiting for the store to open. I got the Wii without Amber knowing about it. It sat in the basement for months, I put it inside a bigger box so she won't see it. Ahh, the length that parents will go to to make their kids happy. That's all we want.

BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS 1. No Breakfast People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration. 2. Overeating It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power. 3. Smoking It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease. 4. High Sugar consumption Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development. 5. Air Pollution The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency. 6. Sleep Deprivation Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells. 7. Head covered while sleeping Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects. 8. Working your brain during illness Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain. 9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage. 10. Talking Rarely Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain. The main causes of liver damage are:1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause. 2. Not urinating in the morning. 3. Too much eating. 4. Skipping breakfast.5. Consuming too much medication. 6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring , and artificial sweetener. 7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit. 8. Consuming raw (overly done) Foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store. We should prevent this without necessarily spending more. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to "schedule." Because : Evening at 9 - 11 PM : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/toxic chemicals (detoxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on health. Evening at 11pm - 1 am : is the detoxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 1 - 3 am : detoxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 3 - 5 am : detoxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the detoxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process. Morning 5 - 7am : detoxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.Morning 7 - 9 am : absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30 am , for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30 am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 - 10 am rather than no meal at all. Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4:00 am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood. Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late. DO TAKE CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH.................

Boy, am I drained! I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for my dh's family. There were 12 people in all. Thank goodness I did not have a turkey disaster like last year. I cooked a traditional Thanksgiving dinner: roast turkey, 2 kinds of dressing, green beans almondine, sweet yam with marshmallows, parmesan mashed potatoes, gravy and of course cranberry jelly. I'm so tired from all the cooking and cleaning. Maybe I'll skip the Christmas dinner party this year. We'll just have a quiet dinner ourselves. That sounds like a great idea.

The Contribution of Filipino Catholics Finally, something positive about Filipinos.. Here's something very positive written by a foreigner named Steve Ray, about Filipinos. Steve Ray authored many best-selling books, among which are, Crossing The Tiber (his conversion story), Upon This Rock (on the papacy), and just recently John's Gospel (a comprehensive bible study guide and commentary). Steve is also currently filming a 10-video series entitled, Footprints of God. The first two videos are out: Peter, Keeper of the Keys, and Mary, Mother of God (now available here in the Philippines) . STEVE RAY'S OPEN LETTER TO THE FILIPINO CATHOLICS: We stepped into the church and it was old and a bit dark. Mass had just begun and we sat toward the front. We didn't know what to expect here in Istanbul , Turkey . I guess we expected it to be a somber Mass but quiet and somber it was not-I thought I heard angels joyously singing behind me. The voices were rich, melodic and beautiful. What I discovered as I spun around to look did not surprise me because I had seen and heard the same thing in other churches around the world. It was not a choir of angels with feathered wings and halos but a group of delightful Filipino Catholics with smiles of delight and joy on their faces as they worshiped God and sang His praises. I had seen this many times before in Rome, in Israel, in the United States and other countries. Filipinos have special traits and they are beautifully expressed as I gazed at the happy throng giving thanks to God. What are the special traits which characterize these happy people? I will share a few that I have noticed-personal observations- as I have travelled around the world, including visits to thePhilippines . FIRST, there is a sense of community, of family. These Filipino Christians did not sit apart from each other in different aisles. They sat together, closely. They didn't just sing quietly, mumbling, or simply mouthing the words. No, they raised their voices in harmony together as though they enjoyed the sense of unity and communion among them. They are family even if they are not related. SECOND, they have an inner peace and joy which is rare in the world today. When most of the world's citizens are worried and fretful, I have found Filipinos to have joy and peace-a deep sense of God's love that over shadows them. They have problems too, and many in the Philippines have less material goods than others in the world, yet there is still a sense of happy trust in God and love of neighbour. THIRD, there is a love for God and for his Son Jesus that is almost synonymous with the word Filipino. There is also something that Filipinos are famous for around the world - their love for the Blessed Mother. Among the many Filipinos I have met, the affectionate title for Mary I always hear from their lips is 'Mama Mary.' For these gentle folks Mary is not just a theological idea, a historical person, or a statue in a church -Mary is the mother of their Lord and their mother as well, their 'MAMA.' The Philippines is a Catholic nation-the only such nation in Asia -and this wonderful country exports missionaries around the world. They are not hired to be missionaries, not official workers of the church. No, they are workers and educators, doctors, nurses and housekeepers that go to other lands and travel to the far reaches of the earth, and everywhere they go they take the joyous gospel of Jesus with them. They make a somber Mass joyful when they burst into song. They convict the pagan of sin as they always keep the love of Jesus and the Eucharist central in their lives. My hope and prayer, while I am here in the Philippines sharing my conversion story from Baptist Protestant to Roman Catholic, is that the Filipino people will continue to keep these precious qualities. I pray that they will continue loving their families, loving the Catholic Church, reading the Bible, loving Jesus, His Mother and the Eucharist. As many other religions and sects try to persuade them to leave the Church, may God give the wisdom to defend the Catholic faith. As the world tempts them to sin and seek only money and fame and power, may God grant them the serenity to always remember that obedience to Christ and love for God is far more important than all the riches the world can offer. May the wonderful Filipino people continue to be a light of the Gospel to the whole world! Be a proud Filipino!

On April 18, 1998 at 6 pm, Tim and I got married at Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California. We had 150 guests, friends and family from Massachusetts and Southern California flew in for our special day. It was definitely one of the most memorable moments in my life.Time sure goes by fast when you're having fun. Tim and I can't believe it will be 10 years next year unless, of course, we look at Amber who's now 8 years old. If someone asks me what is our secret for staying strong and having a good relationship, then I would have to sit down with them. It is not just 'one' thing, it's a combination of 'a lot' of things.First and foremost is respect. We both respect each other in feelings and in thoughts. We don't talk to the other in a condescending tone. We value and hear what the other have to say, we might not agree with it but we listen. Next is compromise. Pride doesn't have a place in our relationship, we both threw it out the window when we said our 'I Dos'. Compromise is one of the hardest thing to do, we're all human and we all want to get our way. To make a marriage work, you need to find a middle ground on things that you don't agree on. We didn't live together before getting married so when we moved in after our marriage, we both have to learn to live with each other's habits and quirks. I'm the organized person and he could care less about it. I had to admit that it drove me crazy at first but I never nagged him about it since it wouldn't do any good. He's a procrastinator, big time, while I'm the opposite. So, if there's anything needed to be done and I can do it, I don't wait for him, I do it myself. I'm sure being a perfectionist, I drove him crazy a couple of times although I'm much less of it now, by choice. Another key ingredient in marriage is communication. I know that Tim is not a 'mind reader' so when there is something that's bothering me, I tell him straight up. I may not like what his response is going to be but at least the problem is out in the open ane he's not caught unawares. There is nothing more frustrating than being upset and your husband knows your upset but has no clue why. Don't expect him to know why you're distressed unless the reason is pretty obvious. Tell him why you're feeling what you're feeling. We know that we can't change the other person. That's one of the biggest mistake a married person can make, they try to change the other person. I know that he's a procrastinator, so I try to work ways around it. If I need something to be done, then I ask him days in advance which would give him some time to dilly dally and by the time I need it, he's already finished with the work. I have my own way to load the dishwasher, the spoons and forks has to be a certain way, as well as the other things. So when I see him load it wrong, do I say anything? No, I keep my mouth shut, I just fix it afterwards. I don't see the point of calling him on it, it's such a small matter that doesn't even needed to be argued upon. Which leads us to another: choose your battles. Couples who argue too much do so just because. Why waste your time arguing about small things? You'll both feel bad afterwards and for what, just because he bought the wrong brand of soap? You have to learn when to let go and not stir the pot. Do not 'nitpick' or overly criticize. Remember that you're not perfect either.

I have now been in this country for over six years, and consider myself in most respects well assimilated. However, there is one key step on the road to full asimilation, which I have yet to take, and that's to eat BALUT. The day any of you sees me eating balut, please call immigration and ask them to turn me back.

BALUT, for those still blissfully ignorant non-Pinoys out there, is a fertilized duck egg. It is commonly sold with salt in a piece of newspaper,much like English fish and chips, by street vendors usually after dark,presumably so you can't see how gross it is. It's meant to be anaphrodisiac, although I can't imagine anything more likely to dispel sexual desire than crunching on a partially formed baby duck swimming in noxious fluid. The embryo in the egg comes in varying stages of development, but basically it is not considered macho to eat one without fully discernable feathers, beak, and claws. Some say these crunchy bits are the best. Others prefer just to drink the so-called 'soup', the vile, pungent liquid that surrounds the aforementioned feathery fetus...excuse me; I have to go and throw up now. I'll be back in a minute.

Food dominates the life of the Filipino. People here just love to eat. They eat at least eight times a day. These eight official meals are called, inorder: breakfast, snacks, lunch, merienda, merienda ceyna, dinner, bedtime snacks andno-one-saw-me-take-that-cookie-from-the-fridge-so-it-doesn't-count.

The short gaps in between these mealtimes are spent eating Sky Flakes from the open packet that sits on every desktop. You're never far from food in the Philippines. If you doubt this, next time you're driving home fromwork, try this game. See how long you can drive without seeing food and I don't mean a distant restaurant, or a picture of food. I mean a man on the sidewalk frying fish balls, or a man walking through the traffic selling nuts or candy. I bet it's less than one minute. Here are some other things I've noticed about food in the Philippines.

Firstly, a meal is not a meal without rice - even breakfast. In the UK, I could go a whole year without eating rice. Second, it's impossible to drink without eating. A bottle of San Miguel just isn't the same without gambas or beef tapa. Third, no one ventures more than two paces from their house without baon (food in small container) and a container of something cold to drink. You might as well ask a Filipino to leave home without his pants on.And lastly, where I come from, you eat with a knife and fork. Here, you eat with a spoon and fork. You try eating rice swimming in fish sauce with a knife.

Parenting is hard and takes a lot of work. I'm sure all of you will agree with this statement.

A couple of nights ago, Amber mentioned that her seatmate borrowed her grape-scented eraser and has not returned it. So I suggested that she ask for the eraser the nextday. So after school the next day while we were doing her homework she looked upto me and had a sad face. She said that when she asked for her eraser back, the girl didn't want to give it to her. Instead, she broke the eraser in half, gave the other half to the other girl in their table and gave Amber a tiny piece. It was clear that Amber was hurt and upset, she had tears in her eyes andwanted to cry.

As a parent, I felt outraged and hurt. How dare they do this to my baby. Didn't their parents teach them that it's wrong to take things that are not theirs? I felt tears welling up in my eyes, I can feel my daughter's pain.

So, while Amber was finishing up her homework, I wrote a short note to her teacher. I told her everything that happened and asked her if she would get the eraser back from the two girls. If you could've seen me that moment, I probably had smoke coming out from my ears, I was fuming mad. That was my baby's favorite eraser because she loves the smell. :( I promised Amber that everything will be okay, she'll get her eraser back and we'll get a new eraser in our next shopping trip.

The whole day yesterday, my thoughts were occupied with that eraser. I was wondering if Amber got it back andif the teacher scolded the girls. My questions were answered when I picked up Amber from the bus stop. I asked if she got her eraser back and she opened her backpack and gave me a plastic bag with the eraser (now in halves).Amber said that her teacher took the eraser from the girls and as a punishment, they were not allowed to go in the playground for recess. Fair enough. I hope that the teacher sent home a note for their parents informing themof their shenanigans. They clearly need to be taught manners.

How can we as parents, shield our children from getting hurt? How can we stop this mad and crazyworld from bullying our kids? Is there any way where we can prevent our children from getting hurt?I know, there's not a lot we can do. We can't be there every minute of the day and fight their battles for them. What we can do is give them all the necessary tools that will help them if these things happen.

When shopping for clothes or shoes, women always have to struggle with this question. Should I buy this dress? Yes, it's beautiful but it's notcomfortable. The Manolo Blahnik heels makes my feet and leg look sexy but itwill surely kill me wearing the 3 inch heels for a couple of hours!

I'm sure all of you out there have grappled with this in one way or another.When I go out shopping, I like to look at nice dresses, skirts, jackets, andthe list goes on. The first question I always ask myself is: is this comfortable?I see no point in wearing a dress that I wouldn't be comfortable in. Just like that low-cutblouse I'm sure will make men smile when they see a woman in it. I consider myselfa 'conservative dresser'. I don't like to dress in 'sexy clothes'. LOL I guessI'm a 'manang'. LOL No, far from it. I would characterize myself as a 'classy dresser'.I like classic lines, clothes that doesn't get old and go out of style. I'm nota big follower of fashion anymore, unlike when I was younger. I'm proud to saythat I dress appropriately for my age. But that doesn't mean I dress like a mannequinthat's outdated. LOL

Can you believe school is starting again? Where did summer go? I barely remember what I did. LOL Oh yeah, I went back to Manila to attend my 25th high school reunion. Amber went to summer camp for the 2nd year in a row. We spent some time with the in-laws. Did some day trips here and there.Although there was one thing I missed this year. My friends and I did not have our annual picnic this year. Mira was in Manila, I was there too although on a different time, Lanie was somewhere. I guess everyone was just busy.We definitely need to do it next year.

The loveseat is scheduled to be delivered this Friday,while the sofa is on back-order. "How do we get ridof the old sectional couch?", hubby asked me. "Simple,I'll post an offer on Freecycle", I answered.

Freecycling, what a grand concept.

What is it? The Freecycle Network™ is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local group is run by a local volunteer moderator. Membership is free.

How was it started?The Freecycle Network was started in May 2003 to promote waste reduction in Tucson's downtown and help save desert landscape from being taken over by landfills. The Network provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to "recycle" unwanted items. One person's trash can truly be another's treasure!

How does it work? When you want to find a new home for something -- whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door -- you simply send an e-mail offering it to members of your Freecycle group.

Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Simply respond to a member's offer, and you just might get it. After that, it's up to the giver to decide who receives the gift and to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure.

One main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages.

Has it ever happened to you when you go shopping for one thing and you end up with more than that item? I'm sure it happened to everyone a couple (or more!) times.

Well, yesterday was Columbus Day so my daughter was home. We wanted to bring her to the zoo but the weather isn't up to that so what better to do when it's rainingthan to shop.

First stop, Lowes. Not really a problem here since my hubby already has some things he wanted. Picked up two wall scones for the bedroom, foam mats for the basement, faucet for the bathroom and some baby-proof stuff. Damage to the checkbook is about $200.

My husband is a huge football fan, he's a New England Patriots follower all his life. He subscribes to DirecTV's NFL package every year so he has access to ALL the games being played. Then he has his recliner, very comfortable. But the problem is, the kids like to sit with him (and sometimes me too)so it gets very tight. We always say that we should get a loveseat recliner so everyone can fit in but we never got around to it.

Then comes the deal breaker, he broke the recliner lever last week. So the recliner is now just a regular comfortable chair. We searched online for adouble recliner and we only found it in the Lazy Boy website. Great, we have astore nearby.

So off we went to the Lazy Boy gallery. We looked around and zeroed in on theloveseat recliner we saw online. Beige leather, looks very good. So we sat on itand of course it's very comfortable. Both seats reclines which is what we want.We talked to the salesman who of course starts his pitch, what he didn't know isthat we already made up our mind to buy it. Then comes my question, how long willyou have this model in stock. Of course no one knows when it will be discontinued.Bad news. Hubby and I talked, maybe we should also get the recliner sofa. Kaching! goesthe eyes of the salesman, I swear I saw some dollar signs there. LOL Oh well,we decided to buy the loveseat AND the sofa. We didn't get the beige set because of my 15 month old son, we know what happens with kids and any kind of pen! LOL We opted for the dark blue color. Oh well, maybe when we replace the sofa and loveseat in the livingroom, I can get my beige leather.

If there would be a 'national dish' for Filipinos, I think Adobo would be on top of that list, would you agree? There are different variations of Adobo, depending on which part of the country you're from. Is Humba considered Adobo? It would seem so, they taste the same unless of course it's the version with the black beans.

Adobo is a favorite 'baon' whenever we go on vacation while I was growing up. In the summer, on the way to Baguio or going to the beach. I remember stopping for lunch and there would always be Adobo and kanin along with the sandwiches and chitchiria. It's good to eat even though it's cold, isn't it?

In Pasig, where I'm from, my grandmother will sometimes cook a different version of Adobo. All of the ingredients are the same except for the addition of tomatoes. This results in a more sweeter and tangy Adobo. Instead of putting everything in the pot, the garlic, onions and tomatoes are sauteed first. Then when it's all soft and wilted, the meat is added and sauteed until you see it cooking in it's own juices. The liquid is then added (water, vinegar and soy sauce). It is simmered until the meat is cooked/tender. After it is done, I put it in the oven and broil it until brown. I like it browned and crispy. It can also be done on the stove top but I don't like to deal with the splattering oil. Too messy and hot oil hurts.

I've been trying to make Humba the way my cousin from the province makes it. Her version is dry, no liquid left unless you call the loads of fat liquid. LOL The resulting meat is tender and sweet. Although I can feel my arteries getting clogged while eating the pork. That was before, now I rarely eat the fat portion of the meat unless of course I'm eating Lechon.

Here is the Adobo recipe I used:Adobong Pasig1 lb. pork, chopped into medium-sized pieces1/2 cup vinegar3/4 cup water6 tbsp soy sauce1/4 tsp whole peppercorns1 onion, chopped2 tomatoes, chopped6 cloves garlic, crushed1 tbsp oilHeat oil in a pan, add garlic and onions, saute until tender. Add the tomatoes and cook until it is soft. Add pork and soy sauce, saute until you see some liquid from the pork. Add water and let it boil for about 15 minutes. Add the vinegar (do not mix - let it boil for 10 min). Let simmer until pork is fork tender. Drain cooked pork and set aside the adobo sauce.Place pork pieces in a pyrex dish. Broil in the oven until the outside of the pork is brown. It is very important to always check on the pork since it will brown quickly. Add the sauce back into the pork.Serve over steamed rice.

There are different names for this dish: Pancit Palabok or Pancit Luglog. I remember going to the wet market with my mom and after shopping, we would go to the 2nd floor where they have the karinderias and have Pancit Palabok and Puto along with a bottled Coke. :)

I learned my recipe from an Aunt when I was living in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

I'm sharing my regular Pancit Palabok recipe, my shortcut Palabok recipe and the 'everything from scratch' recipe. If you liked my Palabok, I would appreciate if you could come back here, leave me a comment and subscribe by email. You will only get updates if there are new recipes. Thanks. :o) ~Babette~

Saute onion and garlic until soft.Add minced chicken breasts and shrimps, saute for a few minutes.Add the chicken broth and let simmer for 15 minutes.Add the Cream of Mushroom soup one at a time, using a whisk to incorporate it with the broth. The mixture should be creamy but not too thick. It should have the consistency of a gravy. If it's too thick, just add broth a little at a time.Season with salt or fish sauce and pepper.Use the atchuete to achieve dark orange color. In my experience, it takes a lot of atchuete to get this color. My Aunt sometimes use food coloring to get the color she wants.Let it simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring the pot frequently.Ladle the sauce on top of the cooked pancit bihon and garnish with shrimp, fried tinapa flakes, green onions, eggs and lemon.

This is a Roast Pork dish that is usually served by our catering business in Pasig. It's simple to make yet elegant enough to serve in parties. The taste is not exotic for non-Filipinos and Americans who have tasted this dish liked it.

You have to start with a good cut of lean Pork Loin, it has to be large enough so it won't disintegrate when you cut it after it had been tenderized. We don't have a special name for this dish. We call this dish 'roast pork'. Big thanks to Mommy for teaching me how to make this dish.

Ingredients:1 large slab of lean Pork Loinsalt and pepper4 tbsp cooking oil1/2 can of small tomato paste5 cups of chicken stock1 stick of butter1 small onion, minced2 tbsp flour1 cup broth from the cooked pork loin1 small can of Cream of Mushroom (use regular not low fat)1 cup grated cheese (any kind)

Wash and dry the pork loin. Season with salt and pepper. Heat cooking oil in a large pot, brown all sides of the pork loin. Add the tomato paste and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved. Cook until the pork loin is tender, stirring the pot once in a while and adding chicken stock if the liquid becomes too low. Set aside 1 cup of the broth to be used in the next step.

Heat the oven to 350 deg F.

In a smaller pot, in medium heat, add butter. When butter is melted, saute the onions until it's cooked but not browned. Add the flour and cook for a minute or two. Then add the broth (that was set aside from the pork loin) a little at a time to prevent lumps. Wait for it to boil. When it's boiling, add the Cream of Mushroom and stir thoroughly.

Take the roast pork loin and cut it into 1/4 inch slices. Set aside. In a pyrex dish, pour 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom. Arrange the roast pork loin slices in the pyrex dish. Pour more sauce on top of the pork loin. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the pork loin. Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, just enough for the pork to be reheated through and the cheese to melt. Serve with rice.

I had a craving for Empanadas the other day and no, I'm not pregnant. LOL My best friend's mom makes the best empanadas, I was talking to my best friend on the phone and in our conversation she mentioned that she's learning how to make it. After that phone call, I can't get the thought of empanadas out of my mind. I know, bad for my waistline. hehehe

Anyways, off I went to the grocery and bought the ingredients. I have to admit that I cheated on the pastry part, I didn't make it from scratch. Hey, I'm a mom to a 6yo and a 17-month old! I don't have much time to slave in the kitchen. LOL I used the ready-made pie pastry, the roll-up kind. I just cut it in rounds and filled it with the sauteed filling. Then just before baking, I brush the pastry with a mixture of egg and a tablespoon of milk to get that yellowish color on top.Here is the Empanada recipe I used:Empanadas3 cups of ground meat1/2 small onion, minced1 carrot, minced1 potato, minced1 cup raisins (you can adjust this to your taste)salt and pepper1 pkg of double pastry crust1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp of milk

Preheat the oven to 400degrees. Heat a tablespoon of oil. Fry the potatoes until soft, set aside. Saute the onions until it's wilted but not brown. Add the carrots and ground meat. Cook until the meat turns brown. Add the potatoes and raisins. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool down.

Roll out the pastry crust and cut into circles. Fill each rounds with about 2 tablespoons of the cooked meat mixture, do not overfill since this will cause the empanadas to crack. Crimp the edges together to form a tight seal. Brush the empanadas with the egg and milk mixture. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

It's a simple recipe, you can tweak it anyway you want. Add whatever vegetables you have at the moment, any ground meat, season it and wrap it in any kind of pastry and voila! You've got a delicious empanada. Enjoy!

This is one of those dishes with an odd name. It was named Ukoy/Okoy for no rhyme or reason. Ukoy or Okoy is a patty or cake of grated vegetables with or without pork. There really is no one basic recipe for this dish, there are different variations. While growing up, my Mom makes this dish with a simple batter added with a small handful of bean sprouts (togue), green onions and one whole shrimp in each patty which is then deep fried.

It's accompanied by a simple vinegar/soy sauce concoction. This is usually eaten for 'merienda' (snack). One of my Auntie makes this with grated yam, pork, shrimps, green onions and batter.

Here is my Ukoy recipe. I've tweaked this recipe countless times and this is the one that I prefer more than others.

1 bag of Bean Sprouts1 cup All-purpose flour1 cup Cornstarch1 tsp Baking Powder3/4 tsp SaltPinch of Chili PowderPinch of Pepperenough water to make a smooth batter (not too much that the batter will be runny)green onions, minced

Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, chili powder and ground pepper. Add enough water to make the batter smooth but not too watery. If you accidentally end up with runny batter, just add extra flour.Add one bag of washed bean sprouts, chopped shrimp and minced green onions. Fry it in a skillet with a little oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the patty. Use medium heat and fry until both sides are golden brown.

I prefer to use chopped shrimp because I like to taste the shrimp in every bite. Having a whole shrimp in each patty is more for aesthetics in my opinion. But hey, to each his own, you can make it whatever way you like. :)